Monthly Archives: September 2014

This column is aimed at younger (college age) guys who want to know how to keep a girl interested. It comes to Sterling Gentleman by way of a lovely young lady in grad school — that’s right, she’s both lovely and smart. That’s a killer combination. Here’s her advice:

You were lucky enough to get the first date and you didn’t screw up and you’ve had a second date and beyond. So now what? Now you have to be on your tiptop game to keep her around. Girls get bored of guys just like guys get bored of girls so here is some advance for you to keep her attention and earn her affection.

First off, show interest in her! You don’t have to send her a good morning text everyday but if you are making her text you first every single day she will get pissed at that and stop talking to you. We don’t want to feel like we are bugging you so don’t be dull when texting. Show us that you are actually interested in getting to know us as a person! If you just want us for our body then you might as well just say BYE BYE right now!!

Second thing, most girls love to be spoiled (well all girls do)! When I say spoiled I’m not talking about you spending every last dime you have to buy us everything we want. That is actually the complete opposite of what I mean when I say spoil her. The right girl won’t want you spending every last dime you have on her and she will even offer to pay sometimes, the right girl will want you to spoil her with your love and attention. YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS GUYS!! You can tell her things all you want but if you can’t back it up you won’t get far with us and you can say goodbye while we walk out the door.

Third thing, don’t tell us who we can and cannot be friends with! If something was to happen with a friend of ours it would have already happened, so trust us when we tell you, they are just a friend.

One of my biggest deal breakers is if all you want is to have sex with me! You might as well just go back to having never known me. If she is the right girl don’t rush things! Sometimes getting physical can ruin a relationship. If you want to keep her around for a really long time take it slow and hold off on doing physical things, but make sure she knows that you are attracted to her in that way.

When you are with your boys and she is with you, show her off. No matter where you go and who you are with SHOW HER OFF! She is dating you and only you! Make every guy out there jealous that you have her and they don’t! Some types of public displays of affection are good. She wants to know that you aren’t embarrassed to be with her and that you are comfortable with being emotional or romantic around your friends.

Hopefully this will help you guys get a girl and keep her around. Don’t be an asshole! Girls like the good guys that are gentleman and know how to treat her right!

So, like 500 million other people, I’ve had U2’s Songs of Innocence on my phone for the last couple of days.

The thing is, I’m actually a fan of U2. Have been since I got my hands on The Joshua Tree back in 1987.

So, I’ve listened to it. The whole album, all 11 songs. I’ve been playing around with it in my head and listening in my car and at the office.

I’m not far from 40, so U2 is generationally appropriate for me.

But, how does it stack up?

First, the songs are all absolutely beautiful. The music is very nice and the lyrics are incredible, a return to Bono’s greatness in songwriting.

This is, in my view, the best U2 album since All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Maybe better than that one.

Here’s the thing: U2 may never again catch the magic that produced The Joshua Tree and then just a few years later Achtung Baby. Those are two albums that are pure magic from start to finish.

But, with Songs of Innocence, U2 has produced an outstanding album full of beautiful music.

The story behind the music is that this is U2 looking at the world when they were in their teens. What it feels like is a group of guys looking back on their formative years and recpaturing a few moments of innocence. In either case, the emotions it evokes are intense.

The album is very personal, introspective, and a bit haunting.

The last 5 songs (starting with Raised by Wolves) are simply superb. U2 magic. Like the way I felt when I heard the first 5 songs of War. If this were a cassette like the ones I bought in the 80s, I’d be playing side 2 a lot.

I’ve listened quite a bit in the last few days, and I’m coming to the conclusion that my favorite song is Cedarwood Road. First, the song kicks some ass. It opens with tremendous promise and when I first heard it, I turned the radio up. While it does not go full on with its rock potential, it has a driving beat and great guitar sound and it is worth playing loud. Plus, lyrically, it’s pretty interesting. The boy standing at home, waiting to face the world. Being defined for life by the years spent at home.

Raised by Wolves is U2 and political commentary. Ireland and war. And here again, the Edge is on fire.

Sleep Like a Baby Tonight may be the second best song on the album. It is haunting and dream-like and special. Plus, it ends with some guitar magic by the Edge.

The Troubles is also haunting and special. In fact, the album’s introspective nature makes it somewhat melancholy and maybe a bit angry. I guess not unlike a teenage boy trying to figure out the world.

Song for Someone (an early track), reminds me of nights spent in the car at the end of a date with someone special. Someone beginning to really like you. I can see myself hearing that song at 17 and melting under the emotion and excitement it conveys.

While I also enjoy Every Breaking Wave, which is lyrically brilliant and sonically interesting, it comes in the opening trio of pop songs that all run together. Sure, Miracle (of Joey Ramone) and California (There is no end to love) are individually good songs, but when you play Miracle, Wave, and California in order, they merge into a singular pop intro to the album. Fun, interesting, and perhaps forgettable.

Iris is powerful if for no other reason than the subject — Bono’s mother who died when he was 14.

Volcano is the “meh” of the group. Though I appreciate the chorus evoking the sounds of Glastonbury, a song the band wrote for the Glastonbury festival and played sometimes on the 360 tour. They should have just recorded Glastonbury as it was and left Volcano out.

All in all, the album is quite good. It gets into your head, and that’s what good music does. Some of the songs could be soundtracks to your life or to particularly fond or difficult moments. And, if there’s another album, as Bono has promised (Songs of Experience), the world could be in for some quite exciting U2 sounds for the next few years.